Your perfect mat ...

Boney bits, dodge knees, problems slipping on your mat? Check out this little comparison which I compiled from the survey that some of you kindly completed, find out which mats the other yogis in class are using and which mats they rate vs which mats they hate.

When choosing your mat there a few things you need to consider, one of which maybe the cost, below is a cost comparison of the top 5 mats you guys are using in class.

How many bucks do I need?

Cost comparison of our top 5

Next you might want to consider the actual physical properties of your mat, if you suffer with sensitive knees the thickness of your mat will be important to you. The Manduka Pro is significantly thicker than the other mats however this means it is also heavier that the others, with the lightest being the Manuka Linen mat.

The properties of your mat

Thickness, weight, length, width

The little details..

The mat that consistently comes first in most magazines and online reviews is the Manduke Pro, only a couple of you use that mat which is why this mat survey has rated it 5th choice. Even though it can take a little while to wear in, users of this mat are extremely happy with it, the only con that is mentioned when buying this mat is the weight and the time it takes to wear in. This is the best mat for those with delicate knees or boney bits, due to it thickness hence the weight. Check out the extra long version on this mat if you have long limbs and would rather have a little more mat under you to stretch out on. Check out MANDUKA's site

The Manuka Linen is the best mat on a budget, also the lightest to carry, and from the mats reviewed the best mat for sweat absorption, it combines a cloth surface and sticky mat all in one with a lovely little linen handle to carry it. This survey has rated it 4th Choice.

In 3rd place is lululemon’s reversible mat, it is made with exactly the same content as the next 2, comes in a variety of stylish colours and patterns and is definitely worth a mention. The yogi-bare rubber mat is 2nd as it is virtually identical to the top mat but only half the cost, like the lululemon it is made of Polyurethane and comes in red, grey or black.

In first place is the Liforme standard size, which is made from good eco friendly materials, using natural rubber and eco friendly polyurethane, it comes in a variety of vibrant colours and is probably the coolest mat and most advertised mat, endorsed by a number of famous yogis and most yoga teachers. Liforme offer good customer service and supply this mat is a lighter travel size which is also thiner. If you keep an eye out for deals you can often get a 20% saving on this mat making it only £80. If you are concerned about slipping this is the mat for you, it will make you grip like spider man! ;)

40% of people who completed the mat survey use a Liforme mat, so this is a little biased towards Liforme, however they all LOVE using it, despite the price tag everyone that completed the survey would recommend it.

Pros -* It has helpful markers on the mat to help your alignment* comes in a range of colours*easy to carry case*non slip*thick enough for those with sensitive knees*hard wearing and durableCons -*The standard mat is a little heavy*Price*smells a bit rubbery at first

Mats to avoid - If you are practicing hot yoga and you often get a real sweat on its great to have a microfibre/towelling top mat, however for everyday yoga they can be extremely slippery and cause you problems in trying to hold poses such as downward facing dog. Those gorgeous patterns may look lush but they will have you sliding around like a puppy on ice. Other cheaper standard mats with the nobly bits often start to loose chunks of the mat and can be prone to moving around the floor.

Whichever mat you choose from these 5 I am sure that you will be really happy with it, enjoy your practice, enjoy your mat yogis.